WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE
Canadian women changing the course.
From the trades to journalism, design, entrepreneurship, and motorsport—these stories make more room for the girls following behind.
Automotive education & media
Stephanie Henry
Founder, She Auto Know
Stephanie Henry is a Greater Toronto Area automotive specialist and the founder of She Auto Know, a platform that helps women feel more informed and empowered around cars. Her work combines automotive education, media, and community conversation.
Journalism
Petrina Gentile
Automotive journalist
Petrina Gentile is a Toronto-based, award-winning automotive journalist. She has written for The Globe and Mail’s Drive section since 2004, covering vehicle launches, electric vehicles, smart mobility, and automotive technology.
Entrepreneurship & media
Regina Chan
Founder, AutoNerve Media
Regina Chan is the founder of AutoNerve Media Inc., a female-owned automotive media platform serving Chinese-language audiences in Canada. She is also a member of Women’s World Car of the Year and the first Asian on its judging panel.
Motorsport
Samantha Tan
Racing driver & team owner
Toronto-born Samantha Tan is a Canadian racing driver and team owner. She founded Samantha Tan Racing, competes in sports-car racing, and represents BMW M Motorsport as an ambassador.
Automotive trades
Jeanne Brault Laurin
Canada’s first woman mechanic
Jeanne Brault Laurin grew up in her family’s garage in Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois, Quebec. In 1943, the Association des marchands détaillants recognized her as Canada’s first woman mechanic.
Design
Mimi Vandermolen
Automotive designer
Mimi Vandermolen immigrated to Toronto as a child, studied industrial design at OCAD, and became a pioneering automotive designer at Ford. Her work championed ergonomics and interior controls designed around real drivers.